The Daily Caller

The Daily Caller
Politics
 Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush waves as he is introduced to the crowd during inauguration ceremonies for Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, outside the Old Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)   

Jeb Bush denies any Bush family grudge against Rick Perry

5:54 PM 08/23/2011
Jamie Weinstein
Senior Editor

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush denied reports Tuesday that his family had any special grudge against Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

“I’ve never heard anybody in my family say anything but good things about Rick Perry,” Bush stated in an interview with Neil Cavuto on the Fox News Channel, saying he was grateful to get the opportunity to set the record straight.

When pressed on the issue, Bush related to Cavuto it was possible that former George W. Bush political adviser Karl Rove had a problem with Perry, but certainly not anyone in the Bush family.

“Not with my brother, my dad. Not with me at all,” Bush said. “I admire him. And I think Texas has got a great story and he can legitimately talk about that story as a candidate for president.”

Perry served as lieutenant governor to Texas Gov. George W. Bush.

In a July interview with The Daily Caller, Jeb Bush’s son, George P. Bush, also praised Perry. While the younger Bush, who is eyed as a future political star in Texas, said he wasn’t ready to endorse any presidential contender yet, he did intimate that if Perry were to jump in the race he would be among several candidates Bush would seriously consider supporting. When asked if he thought Perry had an excellent record as governor, Bush said “I do.” (RELATED: Club for Growth gives Perry generally favorable review, with some caveats)

“We’ve done the right things. Whether it is keeping taxes low or encouraging publicly held or privately held companies to move here — that we’re far surpassing the rest of the nation,” he said of Perry’s record as governor of Texas.

During the interview with Cavuto, which also aired on the host’s show on the Fox Business Network, Jeb Bush stated again that he has no intention of entering the 2012 presidential race.

“I’m not running,” he said. “I will support the Republican nominee. I might support someone before that, but I believe the Republican candidate will win and I’m looking forward to that.”

While Bush said he is currently “neutral in the presidential race,” he said he is an “admirer” of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and that former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman’s “voice should be heard.”

Tags: Elections 2012, Jeb Bush, Rick Perry
← Older Comments
  • JR

    Jeb Bush is brilliant.  His record and rating in Florida is unsurpassed.  If you’ve been around him or people who are close to him you would discover a deep respect for his integrity and judgement.  It is too bad the Bush name is a four letter word right now because Jeb Bush would make a great President.

  • aposematic

    Just another Bush setting his pants on fire!

  • Anonymous

    September 5, 2005, Gov Perry pulled G W Bushes walnuts out of the fire when he opened the Astrodome and Texas up to the miserable Katrina survivors. Besides the Coast Guard and Perry, everyone else in a leadership position were completely lost. One of his and Texas’ greatest moments.

  • http://www.freemarketfan.com/ Free Market Fan

    Let’s see people don’t like Perry because he see,s like Bush 2.0.  Solution …pretend there is a rift by denying a problem.

    The reality is Perry will be exactly like Bush.  He is an establishment candidate that is clueless on how to fix the economy.  Plus he will expand the creeping police state and certainly expand the global wars.

    More here:http://www.freemarketfan.com/2011/08/dont-be-fooled-by-rick-perry-political.html

    Ron Paul for peace and prosperity.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Margie-Jones/1627771400 Margie Jones

    Perry/Rubio 2012!!!!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Margie-Jones/1627771400 Margie Jones

    I don’t care if the Bush family dislikes Rick Perry and I especially don’t care what Karl Rove thinks.  I love Rick Perry and think he would be great as president.

  • Bad Karma

    God Bless George W. Bush for staying out of my sight for 2.5 years. Many more to come!

  • Anonymous

    Fact is that Jeb Bush was a first-rate Governor of a big state and led it through some challenging times with success and with a vision for the future. He did a lot of things but one of the most future oriented was bringing in a number of national and international medical research institutes and fostering an emerging biotech powerhouse. He is a decent human being with good values. All the Bush haters should just go swill sewage or whatever they do for inspiration.
    That said, personally I am a Tea Party Republican who strongly supports the vision of America enunciated by the Founders with the philosophy of classical liberalism – small frugal limited government, free enterprise, low taxation and empowerment of the state not the individual to make the important choices in one’s life. I am completely opposed to Obama’s progressive liberalism philosophy of large expensive expansive unlimited government, high taxation, highly regulated and shackled enterprise and empowerment of the government not the individual to make all the important decisions in your life from what you eat and what values your children are taught in the schools to when they pull the plug on you at the end of life. I see George W. Bush as a nationalism and somewhat business friendly but as an a “small c” conservative establishment Republican who did not fight the expansion of government and federal spending as well as off the books liabilities in the way a true “big C” principled movement Conservative would. Similarly I see Jeb Bush as being similar to George in this, a believing Catholic with a sense of “compassionate conservativism” who would not be energetic enough in fighting the Pelosi/Reid spending machine. He is a good guy but not the true Conservative we need for President to set the country right. 

  • Anonymous

    To Hologram5, TexasJew, Kegan, Reh444, and everyone else who didn’t read the article. What part of his statement… “I’m not running, I will support the Republican nominee. I
    might support someone before that, but I believe the Republican
    candidate will win and I’m looking forward to that.”  I guess you see the name Jeb Bush in print, and think “he must be running for president.” This article isn’t about Jeb running for president, it’s about the Bush family’s opinion of Rick Perry. You fools are as scared of Jeb as you are of Rick, Michelle, and Sarah. I do appreciate all of the trembling and cowering on your part though.

  • Anonymous

    To Hologram5, TexasJew, Kegan, Reh444, and everyone else who didn’t read the article. What part of his statement… “I’m not running, I will support the Republican nominee. I
    might support someone before that, but I believe the Republican
    candidate will win and I’m looking forward to that.”  I guess you see the name Jeb Bush in print, and think “he must be running for president.” This article isn’t about Jeb running for president, it’s about the Bush family’s opinion of Rick Perry. You fools are as scared of Jeb as you are of Rick, Michelle, and Sarah. I do appreciate all of the trembling and cowering on your part though.

← Older Comments